Flushed, Frostbitten Cheeks
by aggressive yodeling
Summary: " 'Aren't you cold enough yet? ' he called from the porch. 'Come inside already.' Jack pouted. 'No.' "At last, snow reaches the UK! But perhaps Jack likes the cold a bit too much? Fluffy Jack/Ralph oneshot. Post-island AU.


Ralph, for the most part, allowed himself to be dragged down the hall by the sleeve of his jumper. "For Christ's sake, what is it now?"

Jack attempted to sound miffed, but the grin on his face was all too revealing. "You'll see when we get there."

"Get _where?_"

"Shut up. No questions," He stopped in front of the windows and pulled back the lace drapes. "Just look."

"All right, all right." As he peered through the window, Ralph rubbed at his wrist to get the blood flow started again. There wasn't much to see other than the usual garden out back, the freshly cut grass stained with powdery snow. A leafless tree and the wooden swing dangling from its branches swayed in the breeze. "What's this grand thing that you're showing me?"

Eyebrows furrowed, Jack gestured at the window, looking rapidly between it and his companion. "Are you blind?"

Ralph replied with a death glare.

"It's snowing!" Upon noticing how largely unimpressed he was, Jack let go of the drapes, fumbled with the locks on the door and threw it open. "Snow!"

A sharp gust of wind slapped him in the face and he instinctively drew his jumper tighter around his shoulders. "Bleeding hell— close it, you git, before you freeze us both to hell!"

Jack ignored him, fixated on the bleak sky up above. "Don't you just want to roll around in it forever? It looks so soft." He thrust his face through the open door, before immediately wrenching himself back in and scrubbing furiously at his eyes with the heels of his hands. "Bugger, it's on my eyelashes!"

Taking this opportunity to slam the door shut, Ralph snatched a discarded hat off the floor and pulled it down over Jack's ears. "You've gone completely off your rocker, you know, but I'll be damned if you go out there without the proper defences."

"'Defences'?" Jack pulled on a pair of gloves and straightened his scarf. "Sounds like you're discussing war strategies, not bundling me up like you're my mummy."

"Just go piss around in the snow, why don't you."

* * *

One snowman and several failed snow angels later, Jack looked up from building his igloo to find Ralph standing in the doorway.

"Aren't you cold enough yet?" he called from the porch. "Come inside already."

Jack pouted. "_No._"

He held up his hands in defeat and turned to go back inside. "Fine, I won't force you to do anything, but when you have frostbitten toes, I won't be the one to make you hot chocolate." His hand on the knob and more than ready to set up camp in front of the fireplace, Ralph stopped short at something hard and wet pelting his shoulder. Even before he turned to see Jack rolling in the snow with fits of laughter, he could hear the uncontrollable sniggering.

"Oh my _God_, your _face!_" he howled, too preoccupied with his glee to notice Ralph stalking towards him. "Absolutely priceless!"

Jack no longer found anything priceless once he had snow kicked into his ears.

All Ralph managed was a few reserved chuckles until a hand squeezing his ankle and a pair of fiery hazel eyes glaring up at him cut his victory short.

"You know what this means, don't you?" the ginger at his feet growled. When he received no response other than fear thinly veiled by concern, he yanked hard on Ralph's leg and sent him toppling to the ground. "It means _war!_"

While the snow cushioned his fall, Jack was immediately on top of him, shovelling snow into his hair. Ralph tried desperately to throw the other boy off, who seemed completely intent on burying him in an icy prison, but couldn't make him budge. As a last resort, he yanked Jack closer and kissed the snowflakes from his lips.

Everything stopped.

Jack pulled away first, his breath puffing against flushed cheeks. "That was awfully tender of you."

"All is fair in love and war, especially when the two mingle."

Jack rolled off to the side, groping blinding in the snow for Ralph's hand. As soon as their fingers intertwined, he let his eyes flutter closed, snowflakes resting gently on his eyelashes.

They would have stayed in that moment forever, had their teeth not begun to chatter.

* * *

_Comments? Questions? Critiques? Just wanna say hi? Let me know in a review! If you liked this piece, I may be persuaded to write a part two._


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